Hayden Walsh jr stands only 5’7” in his socks. But since last October, he has been steadily rising to the challenge of being a West Indian cricketer at last. But no matter how high he climbs, even if he were a 6’4” Alzarri Joseph or a 6’7” Jason Holder or …
Read More »Antigua’s little hero Alzarri: Few words, plenty pace and a growing bag of Irish scalps
Hayden Walsh Jr came to the wicket with the West Indies, in pursuit of 238 for a long-awaited series win, in trouble at 148 for 7. When Sheldon Cottrell smashed Mark Adair for six over extra-cover to give Kieron Pollard’s soldiers a narrow one-wicket win with one ball left in …
Read More »Sir Frank’s lessons for Pollard; time for WI to have a word with Hetmyer
Until Tuesday, my cricketing new year was going reasonably well. Early in the day, Virat Kohli’s India had whipped Sri Lanka in the 1st T20I. But Ben Stokes’ bowling boots had, not for the first time, trampled all over my dream of a hard-earned draw for Faf Du Plessis’ men. …
Read More »Too early to promote Hetmyer? Too late to rethink bringing back DJ Bravo et al?
Blank Bravo. Drop white ball Holder. Hand Hetmyer a promotion. If the West Indies are serious about moving towards the top of international cricket anytime soon, now is certainly the time to make bold moves. And, thankfully, it looks to me as if that is the direction in which we …
Read More »Best: WI cyar find a West Indian batting coach? Ting really so bad in cricket?
Since taking over the Cricket West Indies reins last March, new boss Ricky Skerritt has added real value to the West Indies brand. So far, he has talked good West Indies talk and walked the West Indies walk. However, the long-hoped-for turnaround remains elusive—and I am not merely talking about …
Read More »Media Monitor: A comment on communication, commas and a couple of clangers
Friends, Trinis, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come out not to bury our media but to improve them. The Express of Thursday 28 November carried a headline that said, “STOP IT GARY.” It drove me to the edge. I had made a solemn promise to myself that I was …
Read More »Media Monitor: Is it reporters or media managers who manufacture facts and opinions about Gary Griffith?
“Long live the media!” Thus does unapologetic democrat Noble Philip sign off his latest piece, which appeared in Wired868 last Thursday. Essentially, the column sets out to defend media cockroaches against unwarranted attacks from Gary ‘Motor Mouth’ Griffith. I’m not sure it quite achieves that goal. Having over the years …
Read More »Best review: Can Wallace unite fractured TTFA; or will only half the pack follow his lead?
The Wired868 headline leapt out at me. DJW dethroned after one term in office, it said. I couldn’t help myself. I’ve been fascinated by language and language-related matters since I was that high. So, dethroned hit me right between the eyes. To my trusty dictionary I went. According to the …
Read More »From ‘kaisoca’ to ‘shittykyahkyah soccer’; Best muses on TTFA elections and Nov 19
At 11pm last night, I turned my TV off. Honduras 4, T&T 0. I had had enough. Despite the importance of the game, we had fielded nothing like our best team. The travel papers of some of the key players were not in order. But, it seems, we had only …
Read More »Open letter to William Wallace: Two blighs for United TTFA on apology, the first and the last
Dear Wally, When they go low, Michelle Obama urged the Democrats during the last presidential election campaign in the USA, you go high. I don’t know nearly enough about the US to pronounce authoritatively on behaviour in that space. But I dong here long and my navel string bury in …
Read More »Hip, hip, hip, who raid? Three cheers for Gary Griffith and a suit for Ralph Maraj?
The commissioner of police has a problem; in fact, he has more than one. You are probably thinking crime, but you’re wrong; crime is not his problem, it’s ours! The problems to which I want to call attention are not communal but personal. And they could cost him his job, …
Read More »Dear Editor: Phase Two steals Big Five night; should we add a Lil One for the foreigners?
The following letter, designed to ‘offer a few thoughts on the recent Big Five pan concert, staged at the Queen’s Park Savannah last Saturday evening’, was submitted to Wired868 by Earl Best, who asked that we stress that pan music is emphatically NOT one of the several areas in which …
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